(i) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a culture apparatus and a cultivation method for cultivating liquid materials such as cells or blood plasma in a culture medium.
(ii) Description of the Related Art
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a conventional horizontal cell culture apparatus. In the Figure, a current of a function generator 1 flows to connection terminals 6 of electrodes provided at both ends in the culture apparatus via an amplifier 2 and an ammeter 3. The culture apparatus applies a voltage directly to both sides of a culture tub 4 or between the electrodes via an agarose 5 for removing contaminants, and thus applies the current to the liquid materials such as cells or blood plasma in a culture solution. A current value that flows is derived by an oscilloscope 7. FIG. 8 is a schematic view of another culture apparatus. In this Figure, in the same way as above, a current source is connected to platinum electrodes 9 covered with insulators 10, and the platinum electrodes 9 are directly inserted into the culture medium to apply the current to the liquid materials such as the cells or blood plasma in the culture medium.
In the conventional culture apparatus, the current flows in a horizontal direction. For this reason, even with uniform current density, current stimuli that are applied to the liquid materials such as the cells or the blood plasma vary between the floating cells and adsorbent cells, because of shapes of the cells and precipitated ingredients of the culture medium. In addition, because chemical reactions occurring in the vicinity of electrode surfaces affect the cultivation of the liquid materials such as the cells or the blood plasma, a buffer such as the agarose is stuck on the electrode surfaces. Further, depending upon the kinds of liquid materials such as the cells or the blood plasma to be cultivated or for identical testing of the liquid materials such as the cells or the blood plasma, the amount of culture medium to be used is varied. This presents a drawback that many kinds of culturing plates are required.